Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to increase the homestead exemption for school property taxes again
The lieutenant governor also doubled down on his stance that property taxes can’t be totally eliminated, putting him at odds with Gov. Greg Abbott.
Texas AG probe of nearly 1,000 cities’ finances to seek violations of new property tax law
While Ken Paxton did not allege any wrongdoing, his move is intended to enforce a new law that prevents cities from raising property taxes if they fail to follow transparency requirements.
Rod Paige, former U.S. education secretary also known for the “Houston Miracle,” dies at 92
The former Houston ISD superintendent was the first Black person to lead the Department of Education and helped launch the No Child Left Behind Act.
Texas’ plan to stop a parasitic fly from destroying its cattle population is far from complete
Texas lawmakers heard conflicting reports on the state’s readiness to fight the New World Screwworm, which is approaching the southern border.
Glenn Hamer resigns as CEO of Texas Association of Business weeks after sexual assault allegations
An unidentified woman sued Hamer two weeks ago, accusing him of sexually assaulting and harassing her before retaliating against her using his position at the powerful business group.
Is Jasmine Crockett’s Senate campaign an asset or a liability for Democrats? It depends on who you ask.
Some Democrats dismissed the Dallas congresswoman as too polarizing to capture the swing voters needed to win. Others said her turnout-over-persuasion approach is the recipe to break through.
Arlington upholds suspension of protections for LGBTQ+ people
City Council voted 5-4 to continue the temporary removal of language in its ordinance, which was initiated in September in an effort to avoid losing federal funding.
Trump compares real wages under his admin versus Biden’s during speech calling out Dem affordability ‘hoax’
President Donald Trump was in Pennsylvania Tuesday night touting his administration’s economic success, after Democrats swept a series of elections in 2025 while mainly campaigning on platforms focused on “affordability.” “They caused the high prices, and we’re bringing them down,” Trump told the crowd in attendance at a casino resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, whom he spoke to for nearly two hours. “Lower prices, bigger paychecks – you’re getting lower prices, bigger paychecks, we’re getting inflation – we’re crushing it – and you’re getting much higher wages. The only thing that is really going up big – it’s called the stock market and your 401ks.” Affordability has become a flashpoint heading into the midterms, with Republicans now fine-tuning their messaging on the economy after a slew of Democrats won elections in 2025 running on a platform focused on lowering costs. Prior to Tuesday night’s address in Pennsylvania, Trump told Politico in an interview that he would give his economy an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade, but a November Fox News national survey found that some 76% of voters reported they view the economy negatively, up from the 67% who reported the same in July, and up from the 70% who said the same at the end of former President Joe Biden’s term. TRUMP INSISTS PRICES ARE ‘COMING DOWN,’ BLAMES BIDEN – BUT VOTERS SAY THEY’RE STILL GETTING SQUEEZED Real-wages were among one of the several statistics that Trump shared with voters Tuesday to prove how much better the economy is under him than Biden. According to Trump, real wages “plummeted” by $3,000 under Biden, while under Trump’s second administration, the president said, the typical factory worker has seen their real wages increase by $1,300, construction workers by over $1,800, and miners by $3,300. Trump added that, under Biden, real-wages for construction workers dropped by $3,500. To put things into perspective for the audience, Trump also touched on the price of everyday goods, and shared charts with the audience showing how the prices differed under his predecessor’s term. Citing a report from Walmart, Trump said the cost of a full Thanksgiving meal, trimmings, turkey and all, is 25% cheaper under his administration than it was under Biden. He said the price of Thanksgiving turkeys specifically was also down 33%. Trump added that egg prices have “dropped like a rock” under his second term, noting their price point is down 80% since March. TRUMP APPROVAL CLIMBS AS REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND PRESIDENT’S AFFORDABILITY AGENDA: POLL “One of the most important ways we’re defeating inflation is by unleashing American energy, including oil, gas and clean beautiful coal,” Trump also said, citing data he said shows 22 different states have lower gas prices today than they ever have in the last seven years. Three of them, Trump noted, have gas as low as $1.99 per gallon. Trump also touted lower mortgage rates under his administration, $18 trillion in new private investments compared to Biden’s less than $1 trillion, and a hot stock market as examples of how his economy is doing well. “I can’t say affordability hoax because I agree the prices were too high. I can’t call it a hoax because they’ll misconstrue that. But they use the word affordability and that’s their only word,” Trump said while bashing Democrats on the economy Tuesday night. “They say, ‘affordability’ and everyone says, ‘Oh, that must mean Trump has high prices.’ No. Our prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country.” Trump added during his speech Tuesday night that Democrats talking about affordability, “is like Bonnie and Clyde preaching about public safety.” Meanwhile, amid his barbs at Democrats on their “affordability” messaging, Trump posited that he doesn’t have to “sell” his administration’s policies to anyone, because they are “the right policy.” “We don’t have to sell men in women’s sports. We don’t have to sell transgender to everybody. We don’t have to sell open borders where the whole world is allowed to come into our country from prisons and everywhere,” Trump told the crowd. “That’s our message. They gave you high prices. They gave you the highest inflation in history. And we’re giving you we’re bringing those prices down rapidly.”
Trump gives update on wounded National Guard member 2 weeks after DC ambush shooting: ‘He got up from bed’
President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that West Virginia National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was critically wounded in a Thanksgiving eve ambush-style shooting in Washington, D.C., has begun showing incredible signs of recovery. Speaking at an event in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters he has remained in close contact with Wolfe’s family since the shooting that also killed 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom. The president described Wolfe’s parents’ unwavering belief that their son would survive even as physicians warned that the odds were impossibly slim. “The night that he was so badly hit and the doctors gave him almost no chance, I called their hospital room and spoke to her, and she said, sure, he’ll be fine,” Trump said. “Oh no, I’m telling you, he’s going to. I’m praying, the whole country is praying, sir. I’m telling you, don’t worry about it. He’s going to be fine.’ This is the mother talking to me.” FATHER OF FALLEN NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER CALLS HER DEATH A ‘HORRIBLE TRAGEDY’ IN HEARTBREAKING POST “And the father is like, devastated,” he continued. “He’s an incredible guy too, both. And I went and invited them to the Oval Office, and they came in.” Trump said Wolfe’s mother never wavered. “She said, ‘sir, he’s fine.’ It was amazing, actually.” Then Trump shared a significant medical update on Wolfe’s condition since he was rushed into critical care. AFGHAN SUSPECT IN NATIONAL GUARD ATTACK WAS ‘RADICALIZED’ AFTER ARRIVING TO US, NOEM SAYS “And today, Monica — she said, ‘we’re all praying’ and I’m praying. And then she called to say, ‘Sir, he moved his finger today.’ This is like three days later — ‘he moved his finger.’ And today I got a call that he got up from bed. Do you believe that? He got up, he got up,” Trump told the crowd. “Now, he didn’t speak. He’s not ready for that yet. I mean, you got hit in the head, but he got up, and boy, they’re so happy.” Trump praised the medical teams watching over Wolfe. “It’s amazing. And the care that they’ve given him — the hospital and the generals that have been there, the military that’s been there — it’s amazing,” he said. Wolfe, 24, and Beckstrom were ambushed near the Farragut West area of downtown Washington on Nov. 26. Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries, and Wolfe has remained in critical care since the attack. Federal prosecutors charged 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal in connection with the shooting, including first-degree murder. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump says Rep. Crockett’s Senate run ‘a gift to Republicans’: ‘Can’t imagine she wins’
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, running for Senate in the Lone Star State is “a gift to Republicans,” saying he “can’t imagine she wins.” Speaking to reporters after departing Air Force One at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pennsylvania, Trump was asked to respond to Crockett’s recent announcement on entering the race for the seat held by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is running for re-election. “She’s a low IQ person, I can’t imagine she wins,” Trump said. “Maybe she gets the Democrat nomination, but I think it’s a gift to Republicans,” he continued. FIERCE TRUMP CRITIC JASMINE CROCKETT SHAKES UP HIGH-STAKES SENATE RACE The president added: “She’s a terrible representative. I’ve watched her for the last two years, I can’t believe she’s a politician, actually.” Crockett, a progressive firebrand and fierce Trump critic, filed paperwork on Monday to run for Senate in 2026. She has served as a congresswoman for Texas’ 30th congressional district since 2023. The congresswoman, a late addition to the field, told supporters after launching her campaign that she would stand up to Trump, which she said Cornyn had failed to do. “I’m done watching the American dream on life support while Trump tries to pull the plug. The gloves have been off, and now I’m jumping into the ring,” she said. “Many people wonder why I jumped in this race so late, and I just want to be clear that this was never my intention, this was never about me, I never put myself into any of the polls,” Crockett added. “But the more I saw the poll results, I couldn’t ignore the trends, which were clear, both as it relates to the primary as well as the general election, I could have played it safe and continued serving in the United States House of Representatives for as long as my constituents would have me, but I don’t choose to do that, because, Texas, this moment we’re in now is life or death.” Crockett appeared optimistic that she could flip the seat viewed as a Republican stronghold in a GOP-led state. A Democrat has not won a statewide office in Texas in more than 30 years. “Many people asked, ‘Can we win this race in November?’ I’m here to say, ‘Yes, we can!’” Crockett said during her speech. “Texas is a big boy state made up of brawlers with a moral code. Our representation should reflect that, sadly enough, it doesn’t,” she continued. “After evaluating the data, analyzing the trends, researching historic numbers, and combing over the crosstabs, it was clear, the numbers were strongest for my candidacy for United States Senate, that’s why I decided to enter this race.” EX-NFL STAR ABANDONS SENATE BID AS JASMINE CROCKETT NEARS MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT Crockett’s campaign announcement, which included a video with soundbites of Trump attacking her, came shortly after former Rep. Colin Allred — one of the two Democrats already running for the Senate in 2026 — abandoned his bid to replace Cornyn, instead launching a campaign to return to the House rather than continue his second straight bid for the Senate. State Rep. James Talarico remains in the race on the Democratic side, while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt are challenging Cornyn in the GOP primary.